Car savings every day

Smartphone applications help you find everything from the cheapest gasoline in town to a map of the most efficient route to your office.

Many businesses and schools facilitate carpooling. If your company doesn't yet, start a car pool. You can even save money on tolls and time on some highways that give breaks to high-occupancy vehicles.

"When you're carpooling, you're saving money on gas, on tolls and on maintenance," says Christine Maley-Grubl, project manager at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in San Francisco. "You can use the high-occupancy vehicle lanes, so you get to work faster."

Even simple things like parking in the shade during the summer can help you save money. You'll work your car's air conditioner less.

"There are lots of ways to save on car ownership," Economides says. "It just takes research and patience."

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